'Havana Syndrome' cases have been recorded at the US embassy in Colombia.

It was unclear how many people at the embassy in Bogotá, Colombia's capital, were affected by the unexplained ailment, which caused headaches, nausea, dizziness, and memory loss among its victims.
 
Havana Syndrome

A senior administration official said Tuesday that the State Department is reviewing new accusations of brain impairments tied to the so-called Havana syndrome at the US Embassy in Colombia, a week before Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit the nation.

It's unclear how many people at the embassy in Bogotá, Colombia's capital, were affected by the unexplained sickness, which manifested itself as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and memory loss. During a briefing in Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said officials will ensure that staff "receive the prompt care they need, in whatever form that takes," but he did not elaborate on the complaints in Colombia.

The allegations, which were first published by The Wall Street Journal, were corroborated by a senior administration official, who added that it appeared that at least two embassy staffers had reported the symptoms.

Colombian President Iván Duque stated that his country was aware of the reports. Duque said in an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday that while the US was leading the investigation, Colombia's intelligence service was also looking into it.

Over 200 US government officials, including spies, diplomats, military personnel, and others, have been infected with the disease in diplomatic missions in many countries, including Cuba, over the last five years. The visit of Vice President Kamala Harris to Hanoi, Vietnam, was delayed by a few hours due to reports of an epidemic.

Although the source of Havana syndrome is unknown, the symptoms are comparable to those generated by Russia's Cold War monitoring technology. However, as recently as last summer, US intelligence authorities were trying to establish evidence that the disease was caused by Russian agents using microwave attacks.

More than half of the victims have been CIA workers, and Congress has approved additional funding for those impacted by the illness. Last month, the House Intelligence Committee ordered greater resources to aid in the investigation of the illnesses' causes as well as a review of the CIA's handling of cases.

The National Security Council and the State Department have formed task forces to look into the alleged injuries, which were a major worry for Blinken even before he became president. He is not expected to cancel or postpone his trip to Colombia, where he will likely address the migration problem as well as the political and humanitarian crises in Venezuela.

According to Price, the State Department endeavored to be more upfront with employees about reported assaults at diplomatic posts, worked hard to figure out what caused them, and treated anyone who complained of symptoms.

"We've taken a variety of procedures, including communication, care, detection, and protection for our workers," he said. "And that is something that the secretary will continue to prioritize."